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Baker, Warren and higher minimum wage popular in poll

By Katie Lannan, State House News Service

Updated:
06/16/2018 07:09:11 AM EDT

BOSTON -- Gov. Charlie Baker, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and efforts to impose a higher minimum wage and a new income surtax all remain popular with less than five months to go until the November elections, according to a new Suffolk University poll, which forecast a tighter contest around the potential repeal of a transgender public accommodations law.

The survey of 500 likely voters, released Thursday and conducted between June 8 and June 12, found more than 66 percent of respondents back ballot questions that would gradually raise the $11 minimum wage to $15 an hour and institute a surtax of 4 percent on incomes over $1 million to fund transportation and education.

A Supreme Judicial Court decision could keep the so-called millionaire's tax off the ballot, and legislative action could preempt the minimum wage hike.

Another ballot question would repeal a law Baker signed in July 2016 that allows transgender people to use public facilities, including restrooms and locker rooms, that correspond with their gender identity, regardless of their sex at birth. The poll found 48.8 percent were against repeal, with 37.2 percent in favor of repeal and 12.8 percent undecided.

The poll also asked about a ballot question lowering the state's 6.25 percent sales tax to 4.5 percent, an option retailers had considered before deciding to pursue an initiative to bring the sales tax down to 5 percent.

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Almost 52 percent said they would vote for a question imposing a 4.5 percent sales tax and mandating a two-day sales tax holiday each August.

More than 59 percent of respondents said they considered Baker an "anti-Trump" Republican, while 13.6 percent saw him as "pro-Trump" -- figures that may work in his favor as the poll also gave Baker a 63.6 percent favorability rating, compared to President Donald Trump's 32.2 percent.

The two Democrats vying to unseat Baker, Bob Massie and Jay Gonzalez, remain largely unknown after the June 2 convention where Gonzalez received the state Democratic Party's endorsement, the poll shows.

Gonzalez, who served as administration and finance secretary under Gov. Deval Patrick, fared slightly better than Massie in the survey's matchups against Baker, though he still trailed the incumbent governor by 30 points (52-22).

The poll gave Baker a 33-point lead over Massie, with about 25 percent of respondents undecided in either gubernatorial contest.

The poll did not ask voters to pick between Baker and his primary challenger, Scott Lively, whom 62.8 percent said they had not heard of. Six percent said they had a favorable view of Lively, a controversial conservative pastor, and 10 percent viewed him unfavorably.

About 43 percent of respondents said they had a favorable view of Attorney General Maura Healey, a Charlestown Democrat who has two Republican challengers. Nearly 57 percent had a favorable view of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Of the three Republicans running to challenge Warren, Whitman Rep. Geoff Diehl fared the best in the poll but still fell more than 22 points behind Warren. Warren had a 24.8-point lead against Beth Lindstrom and a 24.2-point lead against John Kingston.

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